World’s First Prototype Of Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle Launched In India

World's First Prototype Of Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle Launched In India

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri have now launched the world’s first-ever prototype of BS-VI STage=II Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle in New Delhi. Toyota Kirloskar Motor developed the vehicle.

This vehicle uses a mixture of fuel to drive the car. It includes ethanol, a biofuel produced from energy crops like sugarcane, maize, and rice and an electric power. Gadkari stated that this innovative vehicle is based on the Innova Hycross and is engineered to adhere to India’s stricter emission standards, marking it as the first-ever BS 6 ( Stage II) Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle prototype globally. He mentioned that the forthcoming stages for this prototype encompass meticulous refinement, homologation, and certification processes.

Puri, during his address, said that India has huge Ethanol potential, much beyond E20 (20% ethanol blended) mix. The country can utilize this excess potential by promoting Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) and Flex Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFV-SHEV) / Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicles.

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This vehicle has both a Flexi Fuel engine and an electric powertrain. This gives it the ability to provide the dual benefit of higher ethanol use and much higher fuel efficiency, as is in the case of a Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle (SHEV), which can provide 30-50% higher Fuel Efficiency as it can run 40-60% in EV mode with engine shut off.

The Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister contended that various high-level bodies like the National Green Tribunal (NGT), and Energy Transition Advisory Committee (ETAC) have strongly recommended the promotion of all green technologies, including SHEVs and electrified Flex Fuel Vehicles etc, for hastening the shift away from fossil fuel and faster decarbonization. He noted that as technologies including SHEVs and electrified Flex Fuel Vehicles etc. As Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle uses minimal advanced chemistry batteries, it also guards against possible Geo-political risks of battery raw material supplies.

Puri also apprised that with the huge efforts made by the Government and the industry, in a short span of 8 years, the Ethanol blending in India has increased by over eight times. It has increased from 1.53 % in 2014 to around 11.5 % (Mar’ 23), leading to savings in the import bills and lowering carbon emissions.

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Minister of Heavy Industries Mahendra Nath Pandey, MD & CEO, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Masakazu Yoshimura and Chairperson and Managing Director, Kirloskar System Pvt Ltd, Geetanjali Kirloskar also attended the event.